AMINE AND MANGA

Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon (月野 うさぎ Tsukino Usagi)

The main character of the series. Usagi is a carefree young girl with an enormous capacity for love, compassion and understanding. Usagi transforms into the heroine called Sailor Moon, Soldier of Love and Justice. At the beginning of the series, she is fourteen years old and portrayed as an immature crybaby who hates having to fight evil and wants nothing more than to be a normal girl. As she progresses, however, she embraces the chance to use her power to protect those she cares about. Sailor Moon wields the all powerful Silver Crystal - a family heirloom from Moon Kingdom. Linking her life force with it can maximize it to its full potential, rarely used in this fashion because the end result could possibly mean Sailor Moon's own death.

Ami Mizuno/Sailor Mercury (水野 亜美 Mizuno Ami)

A quiet, fourteen-year-old bookworm in Usagi's class. Highly intelligent with a rumored IQ of 300,^[10] she can transform into Sailor Mercury, Soldier of Water and Wisdom. Ami's shy exterior masks a passion for knowledge and for taking care of the people around her. She hopes to become a doctor one day, like her mother, and tends to be the practical one in the group. Secretly, she is also a fan of pop culture and romance novels, and becomes embarrassed whenever this is pointed out. Ami would also be considered the "tech girl" of the group by using her mini data computer, which is capable of scanning and detecting virtually anything she needs.

Rei Hino/Sailor Mars (火野 レイ Hino Rei)

An elegant, fourteen-year-old miko (shrine maiden). Because of her work as a Shinto priestess, Rei has limited precognition and can dispel/nullify evil using special Shinto scrolls, even in her civilian form. She transforms into Sailor Mars, Soldier of Fire and Passion. She is very serious and focused, but although easily annoyed by Usagi's flightiness and being totally clueless, but cares about her very much. Rei is portrayed as boy-crazy in the early anime and short-tempered throughout, but is uninterested in romance and self-controlled in both the manga and live-action series. She attends a private, Catholic school separate from the other girls.

Makoto Kino/Sailor Jupiter (木野 まこと Kino Makoto)

A fourteen-year-old tomboy who transfers into Usagi's school. Very tall and very strong for a Japanese schoolgirl, she transforms into Sailor Jupiter, Soldier of Strength and Lightning and with some control over plants. Both Makoto's parents died in a plane crash years ago, so she lives alone and takes care of herself. She cultivates her physical strength as well as more domestic interests, including housekeeping, cooking, and gardening. She wants to marry young and to own a flower-and-cake shop.

Minako Aino/Sailor Venus (愛野 美奈子 Aino Minako)

A fourteen-year-old perky dreamer who acted on her own as Sailor V for some time. Called by her nickname Mina in the English versions, she has a companion cat called Artemis who works alongside Luna in guiding the Sailor Senshi. Minako transforms into Sailor Venus, Soldier of Love and Beauty, and leads Sailor Moon's four inner guardians. She also dreams of becoming a famous singer and idol; she attends auditions whenever she can. In contrast, in the live-action series, she is a successful J-Pop singer (of whom Usagi and Ami are fans) and has a poor health condition, choosing to separate herself from the other Senshi as a result.

Chibiusa/Sailor Chibi Moon (ちびうさ)

The future daughter of Usagi and Mamoru, around 1000 years old but in a body of a child about six to nine years old, Chibiusa travels from the 30th century to seek help to save her parents, then later to train with Sailor Moon to become a soldier. She learns to transform into Sailor Chibi Moon. At times she has an adversarial relationship with her mother in the 20th century, as she considers herself more mature than Usagi, but as the series progresses they develop a deep bond. Chibiusa wants to grow up to become a lady like her mother.

Mamoru Chiba/Tuxedo Mask (地場 衛 Chiba Mamoru)

A student somewhat older than Usagi. As a young child he experienced a terrible car-accident that robbed him of his parents and of his knowledge of his own identity. During the series it is revealed he has a special psychic rapport with Usagi and can sense when she is in danger, which inspires him to take on the guise of Tuxedo Mask and fight alongside the Sailor Senshi when needed. After an initially confrontational relationship, he and Usagi remember their past lives together and fall in love again.

Setsuna Meioh/Sailor Pluto (冥王 せつな Meiō Setsuna)

A mysterious woman who appears first as Sailor Pluto, the Soldier of Time and Space, who has the duty of guarding the time corridor from unauthorized travelers. Only later does she appear on Earth, living as a college student. She has a distant personality and can be very stern, but can also be quite friendly and helps the younger Sailor Senshi when she can. After so long at the Gate of Time she carries a deep sense of loneliness, although she is close friends with Chibiusa. Sailor Pluto's weapon of choice is her Garnet Rod, which aids her with her power to freeze time and attacks.

Michiru Kaioh/Sailor Neptune (海王 みちる Kaiō Michiru)

An elegant and talented violinist and painter with family money. A year older than most of the other Sailor Senshi, she can transform into Sailor Neptune, Soldier of Ocean and Intuition. She worked alone for some time before finding her partner, Sailor Uranus, with whom she fell in love. Neptune has ultimately given up her own dreams for the life of a Senshi. She is fully devoted to this duty and willing to make any sacrifice for it. Sailor Neptune's weapon of choice is her Deep Aqua Mirror, which aids her with her intuition and revealing cloaked evil.

Haruka Tenoh/Sailor Uranus (天王 はるか Ten'ō Haruka)

A good-natured, masculine-acting girl. Haruka, of an age with her partner, Michiru, transforms into Sailor Uranus, Soldier of the Sky and Fury. Before becoming a Sailor Senshi, she dreamt of being a racer, and she has excellent driving skills. She tends to dress and, in the anime, speak like a man. When it comes to fighting the enemy she distrusts outside help and prefers to work solely with Sailor Neptune and, later, Pluto and Saturn. Sailor Uranus's weapon of choice is known as the Space Sword, which aids her with her fighting and attacks.

Hotaru Tomoe/Sailor Saturn (土萠 ほたる Tomoe Hotaru)

A sweet, lonely young girl whose name remains unchanged in the English versions, though pronounced slightly different. Daughter of a mad scientist, a terrible laboratory accident in her youth significantly compromised her health in the anime and destroyed a large portion of her body (Which was later rebuilt with electronic components by her father) in the manga. After overcoming the darkness that has surrounded her family, Hotaru is able to become the Soldier of Death and Rebirth, Sailor Saturn. She is often pensive, and as a human has the inexplicable power to heal others. She is the only one of the main characters to go with her name unchanged between the original Japanese and English-language localized versions. Sailor Saturn's weapon of choice is her Silence Glaive, which aids her with her power to generate barriers and the power to destroy a planet.

Saiyūki is the Japanese name for Journey to the West, or Xīyóujì (西遊記 "Record of the Journey to the West") in Chinese. While Saiyūki is normally written "西遊記",
or "Journey to the West", Kazuya Minekura writes the title as "最遊記", or "Journey to the Extreme". This is her pun, as both are pronounced saiyūki. Saiyūki is not the first anime to adapt the story of Journey to the West, with the more famous Dragonball series being a primary example.

Minekura's Sanzō-Ikkō bears only a superficial similarity to the original four in the Chinese novel. Their names are the same as the names of the characters in the Chinese novel, but given Japanese pronunciations:

• Genjyo Sanzo (玄奘三蔵) is Xuánzàng (玄奘) or Táng-Sānzàng (唐三藏, Tang's three scriptures).
• Son Gokū is Sūn Wùkōng (孫悟空), or the Monkey King.
• Cho Hakkai is Zhū Bājiè (豬八戒), a pig monster. His original name, Cho Gonou is actually Zhū Wùnéng (豬悟能), the Buddhist name given to Zhu Bajie by Guan Yin when they first met in the original novel.
• Sha Gojyō is Shā Wùjìng (沙悟淨), a water demon, classified as a kappa in some translations.
• Gyūmaōh is Niumowáng (牛魔王) Ox King

Gensoumaden Saiyuki is distributed in North America by ADV Films and comprises 50 episodes, which has a large amount of material added for the anime. The sequels Saiyuki Reload and Saiyuki Reload Gunlock are licensed by Geneon in North America, and consist of 25 and 26 episodes respectively. Saiyuki Reload is faithful to the manga from the fourteenth episode and onward, having deviated from it for the first 13 episodes. Saiyuki Reload Gunlock also starts off deviated from the manga, until midway into the series, but strays from it during its finale. Due to the change in licensing, the English voice cast is not consistent throughout all three series, and the characterization and general feel of the series may change noticeably in the second and third installments.

Enoki Films holds the US license to Saiyuki under the title Saiyuki: Paradise Raiders, yet ADV chose not to use this subtitle. There has also been a movie (Saiyuki: Requiem) adapted into English that is also licensed by ADV. A new OVA has been released by Studio Pierrot, which covers the "Burial" arc of the Saiyuki Reload manga; it is called Saiyuki Burial. The studio is currently working on producing an OVA based on of Saiyuki Gaiden

On March 18, 2004, in Japan, a Saiyuki Reload roleplaying video game was released by Bandai. The player is an original character who journeys with Genjyo Sanzo, Son Goku, Sha Gojyo and Cho Hakkai. The player commands the four in menu-based battles that allow for attacks, special attacks, and combination attacks. The game tells an original story, and Bandai included a bonus Saiyuki Reloaded voice CD for those who pre-ordered.

Saiyuki Reload Gunlock was released in Japan on August 5, 2004, by Bandai, this fighting game features a total of eight playable characters including Sanzo, Goku, Gojyo and Hakkai as well as Kougaiji, Chin Yisou, Kamisama, and Hazel. Playable game modes include traditional single and multi-player modes, as well as Practice Mode, Watch Mode, and a story-akin Dramatic Mode.

The protagonist of Sailor Moon, Usagi Tsukino, an ordinary ditzy middle-school girl—or so she thinks—discovers a talking cat named Luna, who reveals Usagi's identity as "Sailor Moon," a special warrior with the destiny of saving the planet Earth, and later the entire galaxy. Usagi must now find the moon princess and protect Earth from a series of villains, beginning with the Dark Kingdom that had appeared once before, long ago, and destroyed the kingdom of the moon.

The characters in Sailor Moon awaken members of the court of the kingdom of the moon, and the people dedicated to protecting it; when the dark nemesis attacked the kingdom, the Queen sent the Moon Princess, her guardians and advisors, and her true love into the future to be reborn. As Usagi and Luna battle evil and search for the Moon Princess, they meet the other Sailor Senshi, incarnations of the Moon Princess' protectors, and the mysterious Tuxedo Mask.

s the series progresses, Usagi and her friends learn more and more about the enemies they face and the evil force that directs them. The characters' pasts are mysterious and hidden even to them, and much of the early series is devoted to discovering their true identities and pasts. Luna, who teaches and guides the Sailor Senshi, doesn't know everything about their histories either, and the Senshi eventually learn that Usagi is the real Moon Princess. The Moon Princess' mother had her reborn as a Sailor Senshi to protect her. Gradually Usagi discovers the truth about her own past life, her destined true love, and the possibilities for the future of the Solar System.

The plot spans five major story arcs, each of them represented in both the manga and anime, usually under different names:

1. the Dark Kingdom arc (Sailor Moon)
2. the Black Moon arc (Sailor Moon R)
3. the Mugen/Infinity arc (Sailor Moon S)
4. the Dream arc (Sailor Moon SuperS)
5. the Stars arc (Sailor Moon Sailor Stars)

The anime added an additional minor arc at the start of the second series, and spent the first few episodes of Sailor Stars wrapping up the plot from the previous series. Taking place before the manga timeline, its sister series Codename: Sailor V tells the story of Sailor V, Minako Aino and her adventures during the year before Sailor Moon itself starts. Many characters from Codename: Sailor V return in Sailor Moon, including Sailor V herself (under the name "Sailor Venus").